International Conference
"The Self in the Social World"
24-26 September 2026

This conference explores how the self is shaped, experienced, and transformed within the social worlds we inhabit. Human selfhood does not arise in isolation; it unfolds within networks of interpersonal relations, cultural and institutional settings, technological infrastructures, and shifting ecological and political conditions. As these worlds evolve, so too do the experiential dynamics through which individuals make sense of themselves, others, and their place in a shared reality. A more specific yet central form of social sense-making consists in individuals’ striving to find a place in the social world that bestows a sense of belonging, meaning, and fulfilment. However, finding such a place is not something we can simply take for granted. Social environments must have certain features for individuals to be able to make them their home, just as bodily, affective, and cognitive aspects of individuals precondition whether they may benefit from the interactions within the communities they navigate. The fit between various features of environments and individuals is notoriously precarious. A central aim of the conference is to investigate the lived experience of the self in its dynamic embeddedness in the social world. This topic provides a fitting opportunity for us to come together and celebrate Thomas Fuchs’s dedicated years of service, now coming to an end, as the Karl Jaspers Professor at Heidelberg University.

We hope to welcome you in Heidelberg and very much look forward to stimulating discussions.

Warm wishes from Heidelberg,
Thomas Fuchs & Team